Enterprising Mathematics Resources

A valuable resource for teachers based on materials produced for the Enterprising Mathematics competitions.

CD One

Problems

Relays

Activities

The CD provides materials for pupils aged 15/16, either for classroom use or for a larger event such as a “maths day”. Of course, teachers may find other ways of using the resources, which have been selected to give pupils and teachers a flavour of the Enterprising Mathematics competitions.

Contents include:

Suggestions for teachers

Problems

Relays

Activities

Answers

Suggestions for teachers

General hints for running an event and a description of how the materials are used in each round of the Enterprising Mathematics Competition.

Problems

Two groups of entertaining problems; worksheets are provided for four of the problems.

Relays

Two sets of 32 relay questions. The odd and even questions are collated separately so that they may easily be printed on differently coloured paper; such colour coding assists in running a relay competition.

Activities

A set of 16 different and varied activities, mostly of a practical nature.

“To those who do not know mathematics it is difficult to get across a real feeling as to the beauty, the deepest beauty, of nature… If you want to learn about nature, to appreciate nature, it is necessary to understand the language that she speaks in.”—Richard Feynman

The Enterprising Mathematics competition

The competition Enterprising Mathematics has been running in Scotland for over 20 years. The initial impetus to organise such an event was given by Clive Chambers, then Mathematics Advisor. Schools from throughout Scotland participate in local events, where a number of schools compete for a place in a national final.

The final has five rounds:

a practical first round

a team round of about ten questions on a variety of topics

a speed round of short games and puzzles

a head-to-head question and answer round

the whole day culminates in a rousing relay, with frenetic competitors racing each other through a set of short questions

The yearly event has given much excitement and pleasure to a large number of enthusiastic young mathematicians. Enterprising Mathematics has been organised under the auspices of The Scottish Mathematical Council and has been principally supported by the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries.